Miss Cissie Kent
Last updated: 08.09.23
All that can presently (September 2023) be gleaned about Miss Cissie Kent from sheet music covers and by Internet searching is that she was presumably a British music hall performer who has been featured on just one work namely You Can't Punch My Ticket Again (1897) words & music by Charles Collins, and published by Francis, Day & Hunter, London W.C.2, England
Brief newspaper articles in Australia and Wales describe her as a serio-comedy vocalist and parachutist (see tab above).
Surfers are welcome to contribute any further information about this most interesting Victorian performer.
     Title Attribution Remarks
       
url15.gif You Can't Punch My Ticket Again Charles Collins (words & music)
Cissie Kent (perf.)
pdf15.gif
Miss Cissie Kent, a Victorian parachutist, would launch herself from hot air balloons at a height of up to 12,000 feet. Jumps were made with no reserve chute with a free fall of around 200 feet before the chute would open! Her dare devil descent made in 1892, as described in the Saturday 27 Feb. 1904 issue of the The Argus published in Melbourne, Victoria is given below.

A PARACHUTISTS PERIL

A perilous experience which Miss Cissie Kent the parachutist, once went through at Wakefield in England is described in the "Royal Magazine".
She ascended through the air, sitting on a trapeze attached to a balloon. When she dropped off the trapeze and seized the parachute cord, the pull on the cord ought to have detached the parachute, which, opening like an umbrella, would then have enabled her to make a slow descent.
But the parachute remained fixed to the balloon, which became tilted, and continued to ascend. Miss Kent who held the ring of the parachute with her right hand only, was carried upwards.
Experience had taught her the value of remaining cool under the most trying circumstances she began to think matters out.
Should she simply hang on and wait in the hope that the parachute would free itself?
Would it be better to climb up to the side of the balloon and disentangle the netting which she felt sure had somehow gripped the parachute?
As she looked down she saw nothing but a vast sea of clouds. Suddenly she heard a ripping sound. The parachute had detached itself and she was going down. Presently she heard a faint yell from below. She had passed through the clouds, and was visible to the crowd whose excitement had reached a tremendous pitch.
"Looking about me," says Miss Kent " I found myself dropping right down into the centre of the town; there was one very prominent object upon which I fixed my eyes, and upon which all my thoughts were concentrated - the spire of All Saints' Church, 240ft high, and I was dropping directly toward it.
"In anticipation I saw myself impaled on the iron point of the spire. I closed my eyes, I felt myself brushing past something hard. Then I looked. I had grazed the stonework.
"A few seconds later I was dashed against a factory chimney. In a moment more I found myself spinning on top of a stack of timber 50ft or 40ft high. All around me were piles of wood. In fact, I had alighted in a timber-yard.""I sat on the stack of timber until rescuers came. I was bruised all over but very thankful that things were no worse."
     Title Attribution Instruments Source Remarks
           
pdf15.gif You Can't Punch My Ticket Again (1897) C. Collins (w&m)
Cissie Kent (perf.)
Piano, Voice Monologues wvicon.gif
This list is arranged by composer and contains 1 work performed by Cissie Kent who is featured on sheet music covers. It does not claim to be complete and represents only the number of items located. Keys: (w&m)
     Title Composer Attribution Remarks
         
perf15.jpg You Can't Punch My Ticket Again (1897) Charles Collins(w&m) Cissie Kent (perf.) wvicon.gif